Chile Forum

Chile Forum in English for Gringos, Expatriates, and Travelers to Exchange Ideas and Information about Chile, South America. For more than a decade, the Chile Forum has been the center for expats to share their collective knowledge and experience about living in Chile. The Chile Forum is a free community service brought to you by the law office of Spencer Global.

You lose your Permanencia Definitiva if you've been out of Chile for more than a year but that's it. If your PD is active and you got your first long-stay visa more than 5 years ago, then you can apply.

I'd recommend not to ask random people in Chile for legal advice, even if they work in some related department. We just got into the same trouble while trying to workaround the diploma requirement for a driving license: a lady at the reception said that they will accept a translation but her boss rejected it later because the law doesn’t allow it.

Just got off the phone with the extranjería... As of 12 oct 2018 they're saying it'll take 2-3 years to get Citizenship. When I started the process two years ago they told me it would take 1-2 years. Wow, nuts...

1. Name a Chilean dance - "Cumbia Chilena" seems to have been accepted although I am aware that was a really stupid answer.

2. Say something about Chilean history - I mentioned the basic change of power from Allende until today. That seems to have been ok.

3. What else do you know about Chile? I mentioned Pinochet administrations relation to the Malvinas question and the conflict with Bolivia about access to the sea. But then also that Chile now in many ways associates with Mercosur and in that way is in many ways an ally of neighboring countries. And then before the officer had time to invent more questions about things I potentially didn't know, I just started babbling about the differences in climatic zones and how they compare to various parts of Europe and what is grown where and that there is more Argentinean influence in the South, etc. . I went on for maybe 5-10 minutes like that. Then I stopped and there were no more questions.

I am not sure any of this had any influence on what the officer filled out, given that the officer spent the time of the interview copying a form I had filled out at home into the computer. Eventually the officer did say "I listened to you when you were talking about Chilean history" as if to ensure me that I hadn't just been talking to myself.

In the end all dances, foods, music styles are combining + inventing a bit of traditions that come from other places. But yes, I realize there could have been better answers to that one. The point is, the officer did not seem to mind it.

As for time: I sent in the application in early January. First interview was scheduled in August but I told them I couldn't so they let me choose a time instead. I chose yesterday. Yesterday they then told me it usually takes 9 more months for the process to finish, but it could be much earlier than that.

As for time: I sent in the application in early January. First interview was scheduled in August but I told them I couldn't so they let me choose a time instead. I chose yesterday. Yesterday they then told me it usually takes 9 more months for the process to finish, but it could be much earlier than that.

Good for you! you are a brave man among "the brave ones". Goood luck!

I'm from the generation of common sense, wisdom and unfiltered answers. I sayeth as I seeth.